In the Bayside Park community of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, 14-year-old Alexis Sky Pierson, a female student at Hancock Middle School, was fatally shot on the evening of April 5, 2022. She was at her home with her younger brother and several other children, enjoying an evening playing video games. The gathering took a tragic turn when a firearm was introduced into the environment.
One of the older children had an 18-year-old friend who brought a handgun to the residence.
The loaded gun was reportedly placed on a bed, where a 9 or 10-year-old boy discovered it. Believing the weapon to be a toy or unloaded, he picked it up. Alexis, upon seeing the boy with the gun, reportedly had her hands up and was telling him to put it down when the firearm discharged. A single bullet struck her, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her stepfather, who had been outside assisting a neighbor, heard the shot and rushed in to find the tragic aftermath.
The Hancock County Sheriff's Office investigated the shooting and quickly determined it to be a tragic accident. The sheriff stated that the shooting was not intentional. Consequently, the investigation was turned over to the Hancock County Youth Court to determine if any charges were appropriate for the child who fired the weapon. There were no immediate reports of arrests or charges filed against any adults in connection with the incident, though the sheriff indicated that questions were being raised as to how the children gained access to the gun. The community mourned the loss of the young cheerleader and aspiring TikTok personality, who was remembered for her outgoing nature and dreams of one day becoming a police officer.
